Chicago Blackhawks vs Utah Mammoth Picks and Predictions for Thursday October 1 2026
The Chicago Blackhawks visit the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Thursday, October 1, 2026. Puck drop is scheduled for 9:30 PM ET with coverage on ESPN+. Chicago finished 29-39-14 last season, while Utah finished 43-33-6. The Mammoth are substantial home favorites in the -190 range, Chicago is around +160, and the total is set at 5.5 goals. Be sure to check out our free NHL picks for more NHL predictions throughout the season.
Chicago Faces a Difficult Road Opener
Chicago continues trying to turn its young core into consistent results after a 29-win season. The Blackhawks showed improvement in stretches but remained one of the more inconsistent clubs in the Western Conference.
Opening at Utah makes this a difficult assignment. Chicago will need to manage the puck carefully because allowing extended offensive-zone time against the Mammoth can quickly turn into a multi-goal deficit.
The Blackhawks’ underdog price reflects both last season’s performance gap and the challenge of playing Utah’s home opener.
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Utah Begins With Expectations
Utah went 43-33-6 last season and enters the new campaign with expectations of remaining in the Western Conference playoff race.
The Mammoth reshaped pieces of their roster during the offseason but retained enough of their core identity to remain the significantly stronger side on paper. They also get an energetic Delta Center environment for opening night.
A total of only 5.5 suggests oddsmakers aren’t assuming Utah will simply overwhelm Chicago offensively, which makes the side more appealing than laying an alternate high total.
Chicago Blackhawks vs Utah Mammoth Picks and Prediction
Pick: Utah Mammoth Moneyline
Utah is the side pick. There is a significant gap between last season’s results, with Utah winning 43 games compared with Chicago’s 29. Home ice strengthens that advantage. The Mammoth moneyline is expensive, but it is preferable to laying -1.5 in an opening-night game where Chicago could remain competitive deep into the third period.
Pick: Over 5.5
The total pick is Over 5.5. Utah and Chicago combined for roughly 5.8 goals per game last season, already slightly above Thursday’s number. A 4-2 Utah win gets there without requiring an especially wild game, and Chicago’s ability to contribute two goals would put the Over in strong position.
Final Picks: Utah Mammoth ML and Over 5.5
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